Unchained Memory
by Z. Alexander
Summary: Sora. Roxas. In a parallel world, they could've been twins. They're not, though, because they're the same person. But now, no one remembers...well...anything. Roxas and Naminé can't let them forget. Here's hoping this isn't a mistake, huh?
1. Prologue

Hey there, guys! It's another piece of fan fiction from yours truly. This will be chaptered, but I won't be updating frequently. I'm going to finish Cause and Effect, and get started on the sequel (Effect and Affection), before this even takes a spot on the 'priority' list of my fics. This is just a prologue, so don't worry about the length; the regular chapters will be longer.

Just a warning: this will have slash in it. Specifically, Roxas/Axel (main), Sora/Riku (main), Hayner/Seifer (side), and Kairi/Selphie (side). There will be het pairings as well...so don't worry, the human race will not die out. I know it says the main characters are Sora and Roxas...and they are. But the pairing is NOT Sora/Roxas. That would be weird.

This is NOT a songfic. The story is vaguely inspired by a song, but I'll never put lyrics in or anything. "Unchained Melody" (the song that inspired this fic) isn't mine. Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. Any Disney characters I use are not mine. Basically...anything that wasn't previously mine is now disclaimed.

Unchained Memory - Prologue

* * *

In the beginning, Sora worried. He thought something like this might've happened before; then again, it might have been a dream, or his imagination. As time went on, he worried less; the longer he thought about it, the less he understood. Finally, the only thing he was left with was a slight tugging at the back of his mind, and a strained relationship with his best friend. 

He had forgotten that he had forgotten.

To be fair, so had Kairi, Riku, and everyone else on Destiny Islands. No one remembered. And so, life went on; Sora and Kairi becoming closer, Kairi and Riku becoming closer, and Riku and Sora wondering what had pulled them apart in the first place.

Everyone was content.

But then, the voices started.

Well, technically, it was only _one, _very faint,voice; the voice of a boy, calling out to him, begging (well, more like _ordering) _him to remember…something. For the life of him, Sora couldn't figure out what it was he was supposed to remember.

He decided he should tell someone; surely foreign voices in a person's head couldn't be normal! But before he could ask his mother's advice, she smiled radiantly at him and said, "Sora…you're going to be a big brother!"

And that's when the dreams started.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

_Flames…fire…a form, burning to ashes…_

_A flash of light…_

_Keys…_

"_You make a good other."_

"_Sora!"_

"_Sora!"_

"_Sora, wake up!"_

"Ha! I'm awake," Sora shrieked, batting the offending hand away as it tickled his ribs. He turned toward the owner of the hand. "Oh, hey, Kairi."

"Uh…hi, Sora," Kairi returned, picking at the cuticle of her index finger and looking over him worriedly. "You weren't in school today; I came over to see if you were okay."

"Huh? But…" Sora glanced out of the window by his bed, noticing the sun high in the sky. "I've never slept this long _before,"_ he muttered. "Or at least…not that I remember. I think I might've dreamed I did once."

She arched a delicate eyebrow. "Do you have dreams about sleeping often?"

"Nah, but I've been having _two _dreams for the last two weeks. The first one just picked up where it left off every night, and now…well, now it's just weird. When I wake up, it's like my brain gets erased completely, but I feel like it's all happened before, even though I can't remember most of it. I _do _remember these things I had, and I used them to beat my enemies…they were called 'Keyblades,' I think. But that sounds like something out of a video g-"

She jerked her head toward him sharply. "Keyblades?"

"Yeah, and weird little shadow monsters, and…Kairi? You okay?" Kairi's face had suddenly gone pale and she looked blank. "Kairi?"

"Do you have a voice in your head," she blurted.

"Uh…" Sora eyed her warily. "Do you?"

He wasn't sure he wanted her to answer. But she nodded. "Yes."

"…Oh."

He didn't really know what to say to that.

"Uh…so…you were sleeping, when you were supposed to be at school," she finally asked.

"Apparently. Did I miss anything important?"

"Other than Riku telling Ami that he did not, in fact, want to go out with her?" Kairi snorted. "Not really. None of the teachers in our school gave weekend homework, because…I don't really know. But I think that's a good thing; we have the rest of today, and the weekend to figure this out."

"Figure _what _out?"

"Sora," she said patiently, "I want to know why we're going crazy together. Don't you?"

"Well, sure, but-"

"Then we'll use the next three days to figure out what's wrong."

For the first time_ ever, _Sora cursed the lazy bum who'd decided that school on Destiny Islands should only be four days a week. Kairi was one of his best friends, but when she got excited about a project…well, Sora just knew it was bad news.

"So, I was _thinking,_we should go to the island we used to play on. I don't remember why we stopped going."

Now that he thought about it, Sora didn't, either. "Uh…okay. Let's bring Riku, too."

"Not this time," she said sternly, holding up a finger. "He's our friend, and I love him dearly, but this doesn't _involve _him. Maybe you'll take this seriously, so you can flirt with him sooner."

Sora turned red. "I don't _flirt _with him," he squawked. "Why would I do that?"

Kairi clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps you aren't in love with him. In that case, you won't mind spending the weekend with me on the island!"

That little…sneak! She'd totally tricked him!

…And he'd totally fallen for it, too.

"…Fine."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

And that, unfortunately, was that.


	2. The Voices

I'm updating! This story has NOT been abandoned (I could never; I love the plot too much)! You should all bow down to SHORTKITTY (whose author name is actually all lower case letters, but it gets to be capitalized because shortkitty rocks), because she fed me Awesome Cake and Awesome Tea and left an Awesome review with an Awesome Cherry, which gave me an Awesome(ly motivating) kick in the ass. So, this one's for you, shortkitty.

In explanation for this chapter, all the words which are both capitalized and italicized are 'trigger words,' or whatever you call words which relate to what you're trying to remember/think of. Also, I've taken some creative liberties, because I'm the author and...I can. I should explain Roxas; in this story, he's kind of snarky and moody, but it HAS been over a year, and he and Sora had an understanding, more or less. Y'know...until Sora forgot everything.

I apologize for the length of this chapter; usually, my chapters are much longer, but this is still kind of introductory, and I couldn't go on with the rest of the story until I got this out of the way.

* * *

For as long as Sora could _Remember_ (which wasn't saying much, because he'd begun to wonder if his memory was faulty or something), the island had never been cold. He thought he _Remembered_ a _Dream_ of a memory, or maybe just a memory of a _Dream._ He didn't _Remember _the _Dream,_ per se, but he knew that it had been chilly and _Dark._

Today was no exception.

In fact, it was rather warmer than usual; or maybe his memory really _was _faulty, and it had always been this warm. He couldn't clearly_ Remember_ the last time he'd been on this island; perhaps a year ago, or a little longer than that. It was a nice island, really, and he couldn't for the life of him _Remember – _or understand – why they'd stopped coming.

"We're seventeen," he murmured, without really knowing why he said it or if it was _Important._ He offered his hand to Kairi, who was still in the boat.

"Yeah," Kairi agreed, and accepted his offered hand. She could get out by herself, of course, but Sora was just trying to be nice and she was probably not paying attention; there was something _about _this place that begged them, or at least Sora, to _Remember._

A chill ran through his body, and he gripped Kairi's hand tighter; he didn't like the way the cold shiver wasn't caused by the weather. It was still warm and calm.

"I don't even _Remember _much of this place," Kairi admitted, squeezing his hand and then wriggling it out of his grip. "It's like everything slipped away. If I couldn't see this island whenever I walked home from school, I'd probably forget about it altogether."

It was true, and for some reason, that put Sora on edge. It wasn't like him to forget things he was supposed to _Remember, _at least _Important _things.

"We should split up and explore," she continued. "It'll give us a chance to _Remember _all our favorite spots."

He didn't think that was a good idea; there was a heavy feeling in his chest, and his gut told him to never, ever separate from his friends. In fact, he thought suddenly, that was probably why Kairi thought he 'flirted' with Riku. For some reason, Sora just _didn't _like to let Riku out of his sight. Kairi, too, but he felt worse about_ Leaving_ _His Best Friend_ _Behind._

"Uh…"

"C'mon, 'fraidy-cat," she teased, and took off toward the southern part of the island.

Sora sighed and, after Kairi had disappeared, turned toward the north side. He wandered toward the tree with the Star Target; for some reason, it seemed like an _Important _thing for him to _Remember._ But _what _was so _Important _escaped him…

He touched the bark, and then moved on.

He spied a wooden sword half-buried under sand, and he picked it up. As he swung it expertly, he was pointlessly reminded of his _Dream_ – _Keyblades – _and chuckled a bit. "I'm insane," he said to _Nobody._

_Maybe not, _the little voice whispered, making Sora start. He was used to the voice; it had been plaguing him for nearly five months now. He'd hoped it would go away, because he really _didn't _want his mother to worry, but…it didn't look like that was going to happen. After all, the voice had never directly _spoken _to him.

"This is all just a hallucination. Caused by…uh…stress," he muttered.

_That's not true, _the voice said sternly.

"Uh…"

_Hey, it looks like you're getting better at this._

"Better at _what," _he asked suspiciously. Then, he realized he was talking to himself…and decided he didn't want to know. He set the sword over his shoulder – it seemed so _natural – _and continued exploring.

_Better at _Remembering, _of course. You've never been able to converse with me before…must be the island. Pretty soon, you'll understand…hopefully._

"This is _seriously _not happening," he said, mostly to convince himself.

_Yes it is. Now, try to _Remember _all that stuff. I've only held onto some things because I'm part of you, and your brain isn't broken. But lots of your memories have been locked away, and I know there's something really _Important_ you're forgetting._

"Why would I forget something important? That's not like me."

_Tell me about it, _the voice snorted. _You're like a fricken saint when it comes to promises. Still, you're not perfect, and you've been forgetting stuff._

"Well…what have I forgotten?"

_Didn't I just tell you? I'm not sure. But it was a promise, and you have to keep it or…bad stuff will happen. I think._

"You _think?"_

_Will you just…_Remember, _or at least try to?_

"Who are you, anyway?"

_Roxas._

"Now I _know _you're just my imagination. That's _my _name, only mixed up and with other stuff added. Are you the mixed up part of me?"

_No. Now think!_

"Okay, okay. Jeez. Give me a _hint, _at least."

_If I had one, this would be a lot easier, _the voice said dryly.

"Okay. I'll think. Just let me sit down."

Sora took off his shoes and socks and sat on the side of a pool he'd spied earlier. He had found his way back to it without thinking. Putting his feet in the water, he wriggled his toes in the sand a little and sighed. "I love water."

_I don't, _the voice said shortly.

Sora snorted. Although this voice was quite obviously just a figment of his apparently overactive imagination, it _was _pretty funny. "You must be my evil twin, then."

The voice was quiet for a moment, and then Sora had the strangest feeling; he thought that, if the voice had a body, it (he) would've shrugged.

_I guess you aren't that far off, even if 'evil' is a pretty strong term. _'Darker'_ seems a little better. But I'm really more like your other half._

"_Dark _twin…other half. Right," Sora replied, finding that talking to the voice was actually quite entertaining.

_Totally not my fault, _the voice said in a tone which sounded suspiciously pouty.

"Uh…what?"

_I_ said, _it's not my fault. If you hadn't been all _noble_and _sweet _and stuff, neither Naminé nor I would be here. Neither would 'Kairi,' either, but that's not really the point. _You_ stabbed your _own_ heart out. Still, it's not really _your _fault, either, so…we'll just blame it on Ansem._

Sora decided to ignore the physical impossibility of the voice's words – stabbed his _heart _out? – and asked, "Who's Ansem?"

_A _Heartless_ bastard, _the voice said, sounding like he was incredibly ticked off, and a tiny bit amused...for some unknown reason.

Sora paused. Hmm…

"Why does that name sound so _Familiar?_ And why do I get the feeling he's not as bad as you say?"

_Because he was decent enough to _you.

And that was that, Sora thought, even though the voice hadn't said anything about it being over, and oh, crap, he'd just spent the last ten minutes talking to a voice in his head.

"Sora? Who were you talking to just now," Kairi asked, sounding…some sort of emotion he couldn't decipher.

"Uh…my…you see…um…_Nobody, _I guess," he mumbled, deciding not to look into Kairi's face. How long had she been there?

He thought he heard someone snicker in the back of his head, but really, he didn't want to think about that at all.

"…Oh."

To keep Kairi's attention off Sora's sudden decrease in sanity, he glanced around. Hut, waterfall, ivy, rocks, cave…

He did a double take.

_Cave?_

"Hey, Kairi," he said excitedly, embarrassment forgotten. He jumped up and grabbed his shoes and socks. "Do you see that?"

She peered at the space he was pointing toward. "Yeah…I wonder what's in there."

"Let's go find out!"

He tugged on her hand, and she followed him into the cave.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Kairi left Sora to his own devices, deciding to start on the southern part of the island. There was a loft-like area near the rocks, and farther south, a wide, open wooden structure…it looked a bit like a deck.

She thought maybe she _Remembered _sitting on the railing with Selphie, discussing…what had they been discussing? The memory was too faded…

_Hollow Bastion._

Kairi jerked upright; that was _it! _They were both from Hollow Bastion, so they sometimes talked about it…but wait…why did it seem like that wasn't the right name, when obviously, it was? Everybody knew she was from Hollow Bastion.

…_Hollow Bastion isn't the real name. It's Radiant Garden._

Kairi realized that the source of her revelation was the voice inside her head. Oh…great. "I'm getting memories from a _figment of my imagination," _she said quietly to _Nobody, _wishing it weren't true.

_No, I'm not a figment of your imagination, though I _am _a part of you. You've been very stubborn, Kairi._

Kairi sat down on the railing like she used to, dangling her legs over the side and looking out at the ocean. "I'm pretty sure I'm crazy, but since I'm alone, I'll ask you anyway…who are you?"

_Oh, I'm glad you can speak to me now! That means we're getting somewhere. My name is Naminé._

"Kinda pointless to tell you my name's Kairi, huh?"

_Yes, but it's polite all the same. Now, I need to tell you something important. Will you listen to me?_

Kairi felt distinctly ridiculous when she replied, "Uh…sure."

_Don't worry; you're not crazy or insane or any of those other things you're thinking right now. I really am a part of you; and I'm trying to help you _Remember _what happened. It's important, because promises which were made are not being kept; and until we can unlock your memories, nothing can be done about it._

"Well…couldn't you just _tell _me what promise I made?"

_No; even though I can access most of the memories you have locked away, I can't access that one. I suspect it's locked away with other important memories._

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I mean…in the event that you _are _real, and I'm _not _just going crazy or having a really weird dream, how do I…_Remember _the important things?"

_I'll help you; I needed to warn you before I started, because you may become dizzy or faint. I don't think that will happen, though._

"Well, thanks for the warning, I think."

_Now go find Sora. He's part of this too._

"I knew that, thanks. But I guess I should."

Kairi made her way toward the north side of the island, noting things which looked _Familiar. _She found Sora at a mini-waterfall, with his feet in the water, mumbling something under his breath. Was…he talking to a voice, just like she had?

She hoped so. "Sora? Who were you talking to just now?"

"Uh…my…you see…um…_Nobody, _I guess," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

"…Oh."

_Don't worry, Kairi. He'll remember; we'll help him remember. I'm sure Roxas will too._

Before she could think, Sora jumped up and grabbed his shoes and socks and said, excitedly, "Hey, Kairi! Do you see that?"

She peered at the space he was pointing toward. For some reason, it looked _Familiar. _"Yeah…I wonder what's in there."

He tugged on her hand and pulled her into the cave. "Let's go find out!"

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Roxas hadn't really _understood _what was happening until he noticed the pattern in Sora's forgetfulness. Sora didn't forget his age, his mother's name, his father's hair color, Kairi's birthday, or Riku's grandmother's name; he _did _forget everything which had to do with those two years he had been gone. Then, his brain had started filling in the blank spots with stories; believable stories, if one didn't know the truth.

When Sora started forgetting important things, Roxas forgot too, but unlike Sora, Roxas knew he'd forgotten them because Sora had forgotten lots of other things. Sora forgot forgetting, but Roxas didn't. He knew there was something going on.

The_ problem _was that Sora couldn't _hear _Roxas very well. Roxas had better luck with Sora's dreams, but then Sora forgot_ those, _too. It was like…it was like something was _blocking_ Sora, which made no sense because what if something bad happened again? Sora was still alive, so he was still the Keyblade master, and if the worlds got, say, overrun by Heartless again (which probably wasn't going to happen, but then again, expectations got people killed)…well, everyone would be in deep trouble.

But then…Sora and Kairi went to the island. Roxas knew he had a chance then, because everything Sora saw brought back vague memories; Roxas knew he could work with it, and maybe he'd be able to make Sora _Remember_ what they both forgot.

He_ really _hoped Naminé was working with Kairi, because he wasn't all that great at working with memories…or communicating, really. Sora got all the words, apparently.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naminé had decided to wait until nighttime to begin working on Kairi's memories. It was a completely different process than what she'd done with Sora; she just had to _unlock _Kairi's. She'd searched for months for the 'lock,' and she'd finally found it…when Kairi had stepped onto the island.

There was something _about _this island…something Naminé knew was _Important_ but which none of them could quite grasp. If she could help Kairi, she knew she could help Sora…and maybe the heavy, nagging feeling would go away. It was strange…being a part of Kairi had heightened Naminé's understanding of many things she'd never experienced.

She knew that everyone needed to _Remember._

But when Kairi entered the cave, Naminé couldn't have _stopped _the lock from breaking, even if she _wanted _to. It was like everything had rushed back in waves, in floods, and Kairi couldn't _move…_just stood and took in those little limestone drawings on the cave walls.

Sora didn't seem to be affected, though; he bounded over to one and grinned, pointing. "Kairi…do you see this? It's you and me. D'you think we actually _shared _a Paopu? I can't_ Remember."_

Kairi didn't seem to hear Sora's question. Naminé always felt a little strange when things like this happened; Kairi would be completely spaced out, and Naminé could notice many details. The only time she was completely oblivious was when Kairi was asleep; Naminé slept too.

Kairi dropped to her knees, and Naminé's vision began to fade. This wasn't good, she didn't think. If Kairi passed out now, she wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Uh…Kairi? Are you okay?"

Sora reached out to touch Kairi's hand. There was a moment of complete clarity, and then all was dark.


	3. Promises

I'm back! Seriously. And with an update, too. This chapter is a little confusing, but it gets clearer in the next few chapters. By the way...I decided something. I was going to do all this as one story, but I decided to split it into parts. So this story, "Unchained Memory," is like the...introduction. The next story, "Keys of Destiny," will chronicle their next adventures. There will be one other part, "Heroes of Legend." I'm telling you this because in my first chapter I said that this will be AkuRoku, etc. The series will, but there are really only hints of romance in "Unchained Memory."

* * *

"_Hey…I was just wondering…what is it that makes sea-salt ice cream sweet?"_

"_Uh…what?"_

_Axel licked at his ice cream, and Roxas suddenly felt the urge to look away. Roxas' companion grinned. "Well, obviously, the sea salt makes it salty. But what makes it _sweet? _I know _someone's _gotta know…but so far, no one's telling."_

"…_You really think _I'd _know? Sure, it tastes familiar…but I don't_ know," _Roxas grumbled, scowling. "And I don't care," he added. Axel was doing it again…that thing where he held Roxas' gaze and did very suggestive things, probably without meaning to. Roxas didn't have any blood to circulate, but all the same, he couldn't help that curious sensation in his stomach. Kinda like millions of butterflies…if those butterflies happened to be as big as bats and claustrophobic in his stomach._

"_You're such a wet blanket sometimes. The least you could do is _try."

_Axel wanted him to try…what, exactly? His scowl only deepened, and he snatched Axel's ice cream before he knew what was happening._

"_Hey, that's mine! You already have your own!"_

"_Had," Roxas reminded. "Besides; you stole some of mine last week. It's only fair."_

"_What? I never-"_

_He sucked on the end of the bar, noting the sweet flavor they'd been discussing. It _was_ familiar…but that couldn't be, because he'd never tasted it before. Other than in the ice cream, of course._

"_Roxas, what are you _doing," _Axel asked, looking at him strangely._

"_Eating ice cream. What are _you _doing?"_

_His companion seemed to swallow his first reaction, whatever it was, and replied, "Wanting ice cream. Give it over!"_

_Roxas pulled the bar out of his mouth and held it out for Axel to take. Instead of grabbing it, his companion/partner/friend took it with his lips, sucking on the end like Roxas had. As Roxas met Axel's green, green, _devious _eyes, he had the weirdest idea; maybe Axel _did_ know what he was doing. Well…there was really only one way to find out._

"_Do you…know…?"_

_Okay, so maybe he wasn't that good with words. His Somebody – whoever they were – must've been really quiet. Or maybe a mute. Or something._

_The stick was pulled out of Axel's mouth slowly. His eyes – curious that they were so expressive, when he supposedly didn't have a heart – looked contemplative. Perhaps Axel knew what Roxas meant after all._

"_Honestly? No. But _I'm _trying, Roxas."_

…_Ouch. Apparently, Axel knew him a little _too _well._

_He propped his chin on his hand, hunching over and watching the sunset while listening to the tolling of the bell behind him. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…_

_The days were getting shorter. It would be winter soon._

"_I have no idea what's going on here, either," he admitted darkly. It wasn't the same…he knew it, Axel knew it. Hell, everyone probably did. He wasn't the same as Axel, and he didn't quite know what made him different. "It's like I…feel something. Ridiculous, huh?"_

_It wasn't, and they both knew that. But this was all for the sake of familiarity, wasn't it?_

"_Nah. We all want to feel. You're pretty lucky, if you're real. What do you think you're feeling, hmm?"_

_That serious tone…the absence of that mocking smirk, and those expressive, discontented (which had to be impossible) eyes…something about that set those damn giant, claustrophobic butterflies on a rampage again._

"_If I knew, I wouldn't say I have no idea," he stated flatly, reaching out to steal the ice cream again. He wasn't going to let something as wonderful as sea-salt ice cream be wasted!_

"_You should find out," Axel replied, watching Roxas lick the bottom of the stick (so the ice cream wouldn't melt all over his hands again) with a very, very odd look on his face. Roxas had never seen it before, and truthfully, it looked a bit out-of-place. "So you can tell me and maybe I'll figure out how to feel too."_

_That statement sounded strange, but Roxas let it go for now. "Sure, I'll do that."_

_His companion frowned at the flat tone Roxas had used. "Promise me."_

"…_Huh," he asked, a bit disconcerted at the sudden melancholic earnestness his friend was showing._

"_I _said, _promise. You _have _to."_

"_Why?" Axel's sudden demand – yes, it _was _a demand – was very strange._

"_Because I really want to figure this out," was the reply, and then…well, then their lips were mashed together in what people might call a kiss. Roxas was inclined to disagree, though. It was probably as close as any Nobody would ever get to intimacy, and _that _realization made the bat-butterflies go insane again. This wasn't _just _a kiss._

_Axel's right hand buried itself in Roxas' hair, and his left snaked around his shoulders, grasping him tightly. The lips were more demanding now, and if Roxas had been the type to care what others thought of him, he'd probably be embarrassed. But he wasn't, and he _wasn't._So he threw away whatever reservations he had, and fisted the black cloth covering the chest in front of him, pushing back fiercely with his tongue._

_He sucked on Axel's lower lip before pulling away and resting his forehead against the other Nobody's. _

_He couldn't resist asking, "What would you do if you knew, anyway?"_

_Axel didn't answer, just stared into his eyes and massaged his scalp a little._

"_What would you do," Roxas repeated._

"_Does it matter?"_

"_Of course it matters, you-"_

"_Do _I _matter, Roxas?"_

_He didn't want to hear, or answer, that question. There was really no way to answer that without explaining what words could not say._

_Instead, he whispered, "I promise. When I figure it out…I'll tell you. I promise."_

"_And _I_ promise," Axel replied, just as softly, "that I'll be here when you do. I promise I'll always wait, Roxas."_

"_Your ice cream is melting," Roxas pointed out, suddenly wanting to be far, far away from here._

"_Well, hurry and help me finish it then."_

_Roxas and Axel finished the sea-salt ice cream (without fighting over it again), and headed back. Roxas only had time to wonder how Axel had caught hold of his hand before lips met lips once again._

"_I'll always wait, Roxas. I promise."_

Ooo.ooO

"_Sora! Riku! Wait up," Kairi called, quickening her pace to catch up with her friends. Sora stopped and pulled on Riku's arm, effectively stopping him from moving any more._

"_Kairi! What's up?"_

_When Kairi approached them, she had the faintest traces of pink on her cheeks. "I…had an idea, just now. Come with me to the island?"_

_Sora saw Riku glance at him briefly; it was like Riku was following his lead. Ever since they'd got back, Riku had been…almost _reverential _to him. Sora was at a loss; he just wanted to be _friends…_or…whatever they had been just before they came back to Destiny Islands. Sora knew kisses like _that _weren't _friendly, _but he didn't know what that _had _been. It was too intense to be friendly, and too short to soothe the confusion. Sora sometimes, truthfully, wondered if it had…ever happened at all._

"_Sure…if it's all right with Riku?"_

"_Of course," Riku replied to the indirect question. He actually did look excited. "How come we haven't gone back, anyway?"_

_Kairi shrugged. "I don't know. For a while, the island wasn't even on my mind…it's been a while!"_

"_Yeah…me too," Sora responded thoughtfully. Why would they have forgotten something as important as _that? _There were things which shouldn't be forgotten…_couldn't _be forgotten. But what if they were? It wasn't a nice thought._

"_Well, let's go," Riku said, and they all piled into one boat (because they were cool like that)._

_When they reached the island, Kairi wasted no time in almost _dragging _Riku and Sora to the bridge, and over to the little island-by-the-island. The one with the Paopu tree; the one they used to watch the sunset from._

"_Why…are we here?"_

_Kairi smiled at Riku's question. "Well…I know it's a little pointless, since…we're already pretty much…um…but I thought we all should share one. To make it _official," _she said, pointing to the Paopu tree._

"_Share a…Paopu? Kairi, we're already-"_

"_I know, Riku. Our destinies, our _hearts, _are already tied together tighter than anything. Can't we just do it anyway?"_

_Sora smiled at Kairi. "I'm game. C'mon, Riku…it's not like they're poison."_

"_Besides; now's your chance to be all sappy without taking a blow to your 'manly pride,' or whatever it is that keeps you from doing stuff like this," Kairi added. "Real men aren't afraid of getting a little sentimental. Are you a real man, Riku?"_

_Kairi sure had a way with words. Sora always marveled at the way she affected everyone; it was like everything just fell into place with her plans. Sora blamed it on being a girl; Selphie was like that too, to a lesser degree. He also didn't think Kairi meant to affect people that way; she was too nice to be so conniving all the time._

"_Of course," Riku replied. "Obviously."_

"_Then get up in that tree, and get us a Paopu!"_

_Sora raised his eyebrows. So…maybe she _had _meant to do that _this _time. What surprised him most, though, was Riku's reaction. He just…did what Kairi said. No smart-aleck remarks, no protests. And…was that a smile on Riku's face? Weird._

_Riku climbed down from the tree and handed the fruit to Kairi wordlessly. She smiled brightly at him – the sun behind her made her eyes dark, which only made her smile brighter – and pulled the fruit apart in three pieces. They were lucky it was so soft. Handing one piece to Riku and another piece to Sora, Kairi raised her own piece in the air in front of her. "A toast," she declared._

_Sora couldn't help but smile at her antics and hold up his own piece of fruit. "To friendship."_

_Riku raised his piece too. "To the light in our hearts."_

"_To destiny," Kairi offered, and the moment was over. They all climbed into the tree and tasted the Paopu fruit; Sora realized he'd tasted it before, but he wasn't sure where. Maybe he hadn't, after all?_

"_You know, guys…Destiny Islands is the only place that still knows about the power of Paopu fruits," Kairi said after a bit. "But every world used to be like that."_

_Sora cocked his head to the side. "I thought the worlds were always separated."_

"_Not always. Someone locked them away from each other after…I don't know. Some sort of disaster, probably. Maybe a war. Paopu fruits originated here, but every world has one."_

"_Seriously," Riku asked, sounding intrigued._

"_Yeah. Somebody planted one on each world. They can grow in every climate, you know. But anyway…as I was saying, the only world that remembers the legend is Destiny Islands."_

"_How do you know, Kairi," Sora asked._

_She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I…don't know how I know. It's probably something I learned from…you know, Naminé. She hasn't spoken to me, but…I know things I've never known before. I'm sure it has to do with her."_

"_So…do you know the legend, then?"_

"…_Yes," she replied. "It's a two-part legend. The first is, obviously, that if you share a Paopu with someone, your destinies are intertwined forever. The second isn't that well-known; if you make a promise to the person you're sharing it with, that promise can't be broken."_

"_Well…what if you can't keep it? I mean…what if something happens?"_

"_What if the other person dies or something," Riku asked quietly. Sora hated to hear him say stuff like that._

_Kairi shook her head. "It _can't _be broken. That's what's so special about Paopu fruit; it doesn't just tie your destinies together. People stopped making promises like that because they got scared. That's also why it's illegal to use Paopu fruit in any food; it's an old law, probably set by someone who was afraid of those promises."_

"_I always wondered about that," Sora muse aloud, absently sucking on the piece of fruit in his hands. His friends hadn't finished theirs, either. "So…d'you think it's true?"_

"_Yeah, I do. Or at least…I want to believe it. It makes sense, in an odd sort of way, and it's not like we haven't seen our share of 'impossible' things. I think half of what gives things power is belief, anyway."_

"_Hey…let's try it out right now," Sora said, surprising even himself._

"_Huh? What do you mean, Sora?"_

"_C'mon, Riku. You know we're gonna end up keeping our promises anyway; even if the legend isn't true, it's just 'making it official,' like Kairi said."_

"_That sounds great, Sora," Kairi answered with a smile._

"_Okay," Riku agreed grudgingly. _

"_You're such a wet blanket sometimes," Sora said teasingly, nudging Riku's shoulder with his own. "Can't you at least _try?"

_Riku wrinkled his nose. "What is there to try?"_

"_Try to be enthusiastic, of course. Like us!"_

"_Maybe later," he responded, and Sora could see the smile pulling at his lips._

"_I'll start," Sora averred. "I promise to always be there for you guys…for everyone. I promise to have your backs, no matter what. I promise to always be your friend."_

"_I promise to always be there for you guys, too. I promise to help you if you ever lose your way, no matter what," Kairi said._

"_I promise to never leave for the darkness like I did," Riku stated quietly. "I promise to always be there for both of you, and…I promise to always find you, if we ever get separated again. I'll always wait for you."_

_Sora sucked the last bit of Paopu into his mouth. "To friendship."_

"_To the light in our hearts," Riku said, once he'd finished._

"_To destiny," Kairi added._

_The sun had set._

_ "Hey guys...I've got one more thing to promise."  
_

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Ugh," Sora groaned as he sat up. "My _head."_

"Are…you okay, Sora," a voice asked, and Sora looked around to see Kairi leaning against the…stone wall? He remembered coming to the island, but…

What had happened _after _that?

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"

"I think so."

"How did we get in here, anyway," he asked, scratching his head. Something was tickling the back of his mind…but he couldn't make it out. It was like a traveling itch; once he'd grasped it, the sensation would move. It was weird, considering the location: his brain.

"You…don't remember?"

Sora shook his head.

"We came in here in the afternoon. I don't know what time it is now, but…you really don't remember, Sora?"

He frowned. Did he remember? He was getting flashes, images, but what was real and what was not? And…why did this all seem so familiar? "I don't know. Maybe."

She sighed. "Naminé said this might be difficult."

Sora had the strangest feeling that he'd heard that name before…had _known _the girl. But why would he forget someone? It wasn't like him.

_Because your memory is being repressed, _the too-familiar voice stated angrily. Sora jumped.

Sora wondered what that meant, but he wasn't going to talk to himself in _here, _in front of _Kairi. _She may have a voice in her head too, but…it was still _weird._

_You don't _have _to talk out loud, you know. I can hear you just fine. _The voice sounded a bit disgruntled.

_Are you…can you hear me now?_

_Well, I can't _hear, _exactly. But you know what I mean. Jeez…I'm not_ just _a voice in your head. I'm _Roxas. _As in, your other half. Your _Nobody.

Yep. The voice – Roxas, apparently – wasn't very happy.

_Nobody?_

'_When a person loses their heart to darkness, the empty shell sometimes begins to move on its own. Those are called 'Nobodies.' If the person had an especially strong heart, the shell takes on humanoid form and can act intelligently; think; and speak,' _Roxas lectured in a dispassionate tone. He must've been quoting someone. _Kairi lost her heart. Naminé was created. You stabbed your heart out to save Kairi. I was created. Get it?_

He didn't.

_I never stabbed my heart out…that's impossible!_

_You're the _Keyblade Bearer, _Sora. You have the strongest heart of anyone! And you got your heart back anyway, so it's not like _you're _a Heartless, or even a Nobody. You're Somebody. A very important Somebody. And you're also getting on my nerves._

_Keyblade bearer? What? And...getting on my own nerves, hmm…_

_Gah! I'm not _you! _Well…I mean, technically, I'm _part _of you…but you're _Sora. _I'm _Roxas. _Got it? _Roxas' voice suddenly got very quiet. _Just…get that through your head, will you?_

"I think I've finally lost it," he stated.

"No…I think you're finally finding it," Kairi countered quietly. "Sora…please say you remember."

"I…" He frowned. "Do you know someone named Roxas? Or…or who is Naminé?"

Her eyes widened. "Those are our Nobodies. You can remember that much, right, Sora?"

"Nobodies…"

_Told you, _Roxas said smugly. Sora had a feeling that if he could see Roxas, he'd be folding his arms and looking at him pointedly.

_Go away, _he responded childishly. He had a feeling that if Roxas could see him, he'd stick his tongue out at him.

"Yes."

"So then…I'm _not _just…hearing things? Making this stuff up?"

"No, Sora. Can you _talk _to Roxas?"

"Yeah…I kinda wish I couldn't, though," he admitted. "He's a bit of a killjoy."

_Hey!_

Sora didn't answer.

"Then…this should be easier. Perhaps…can Roxas hear me now?"

_Loud and clear._

"Yes," Sora replied, feeling slightly ridiculous.

"Then _why _isn't he out here already?"

_Wait…what?_

"Apparently he doesn't know what you're talking about."

"Roxas…you don't have to be afraid of me, you know," another female voice said. Sora looked around. Who had said that? How had anyone…what was going on?

"I'm not _scared_ of you," Roxas' voice said, but…it wasn't in his head. "I just…uh…didn't realize we could still do this."

"Waugh!"

Roxas (he even _looked_ like a Roxas, which was weird, because Sora didn't know what a Roxas looked like in the first place) laughed. "Calm down, Sora, I'm not gonna eat you. Blech."

"The _voice _in my head just appeared as a…_ghost _or something, and I'm talking to you. Oh, jeez, I'm seeing the voice in my head. Please tell me this is a dream."

"You can handle the rest of the Organization, but you can't handle the one who never actually _wanted _to kill you? What's wrong with you, Sora?"

Sora blinked at Roxas. "…Organization?"

"Yeah. You know…Organization XIII? Black, hooded cloaks; weird personalities;_ annoying; _and…"

Roxas' sentence trailed off, but Sora could hear what Roxas was thinking, anyway.

_And the only regret I have._

…Wait.

He could _hear _what Roxas was thinking? "Man, oh, man."

"So…it looks like Sora's the only one who can't remember," Roxas said, focusing on Naminé. "Can't you…you know…do something?"

"I'm sure I could," Naminé replied softly. "The question is: does he _want _me to?"

Sora looked up. "What do you mean by 'do something?'"

"Naminé is…gifted. She knows how to work with memory…specifically, people who are tied to _you," _Kairi explained. Why was she taking this so _calmly? _Well…it wasn't like he was panicking either…but _still._

"And…she could make me remember whatever it is we all forgot?"

"Yes," Naminé replied. "I'm sure of it."

"Then…" He glanced at Kairi, who nodded approvingly.

"Then…you can do it."

Roxas sighed and…disappeared? "What? What just happened? And…where's Naminé? Did I just dream all that?"

_No, but we can't stay out there for too long. We don't have hearts…and without a heart, existence isn't _existence. _We would just look like visible ghosts to everyone else. Besides; why would I stay out there when we're both probably going to fall asleep, anyway?_

He _had _a point.

Kairi took his hand. "Are you…"

"Yeah…I'm okay. Are you?"

"Yes."

Ooo.ooO

"_Naminé? What are you doing here?"_

"_I'm here to find the lock on Sora's memories. Kairi's memories were just locked away; if they'd been erased, or stolen, I'd know. We just have to open the lock."_

"_How did you get _Kairi's _to open?"_

"_I was going to pick the lock. It's very easy when you know how; but Sora opened it when he touched Kairi. He can't break the lock in his own head…but since _you're _here, in _Sora's _heart, he doesn't have to."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Sora's the Keyblade master, Roxas. And you're part of him. The Keyblade opens more locks than the ones on doors."_

"…_Oh."_

There was silence for a moment. Sora wiggled, still gripping Kairi's hand. Finally, he heard the voices again.

"_I'm going to leave now. You know what to do."_

"_Huh? Where's the lock?"_

"_Don't worry. You'll understand once I leave."_

"_Okay…"_

After a moment, Sora's head exploded. Well…not _literally, _but it hurt so much he didn't think he could even _breathe. _

It was bliss to finally sink into unconsciousness.


	4. Linkage

Okay, so guess what? This is the end of "Unchained Memory." I know, it's really short and leaves a lot of loose ends. Why is this? Because I'm planning a continuation of this story. It was going to be just one story, but I decided to divide it into two parts. So, this story is basically all backstory. It may take a little while, but I'll get the first chapter up. The next story will be called "Keys of Destiny," and it is an adventure story. It will be longer, more detailed, and...less humorous. Though, Roxas will always be a little grumpy, because I _like_ crabcake!Roxas. It's cute.

That said, I know that now, the title of this story doesn't match the contents very well. (If you know the song "Unchained Melody," which was my inspiration for the whole series, you'll understand.) However, I'm not going to change it, because I like the way it sounds. Plus I'm lazy.

In this chapter, the beginning might be confusing. So you just have to read to the end to understand what's going on. This chapter is very light, and kind of stupid. And dorky. But hey, I'm allowed to be stupid and dorky. This is fan fiction, and I'm not making any money from this.

Well, here it is. Enjoy the last chapter, and keep your eyes peeled for "Keys of Destiny."

* * *

"This is really bad," Sora said quietly, taking Kairi's hand. "I don't know what to do."

"How are we supposed to…I mean…what if…"

Sora met her eyes and groaned, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "I'm sure they can defend themselves…I just…ugh. This is nuts. I can't believe we just _forgot _like this!"

They sat in silence for a while. Sora didn't know what to do; they knew what the problem was, what the promise was, and why they'd forgotten; but he still didn't know how to _fix _it. They couldn't…well, actually…

"What do you know about the darkness, Kairi?"

She frowned. "Probably the same stuff you do. Why don't you ask Roxas?"

"Because he won't talk to me. I think he's mad at me for something, but he could just be having a mood swing. He has them a lot."

_Why don't you just ask me a question? You've never asked me to tell you anything._

"_But you can hear my thoughts, right?"_

_I don't _want _to. I'd rather not intrude on your private fantasies…ugh._

Sora made a sound which sounded like it could belong to a cross between a wet cat and a woodpecker. "I don't have _bad _fantasies!"

Kairi giggled behind her hands and Sora flushed, realizing he'd answered Roxas aloud. "I'll…uh…ask him. Now. Um, yeah."

"_You can make those tunnely things through the darkness, right?"_

_Yeah…why?_

"_Well, how do they work? I mean, obviously they take you from one place to another pretty quickly, right? So…there's more ways to get to another world than just flying a Gummi ship."_

_Several. I still don't get why it's so important._

"_Because we need to check on the other worlds! What if they forgot about _us, _and forgot about everything else? What if she's just…"_

_You couldn't do it. You're not a being of darkness._

"_Then _you _do it! Naminé did it before…I'm sure you could too."_

_In case you haven't noticed…I live in your body. I don't technically exist, I'm not _supposed _to exist, and I don't have a heart. I'd just be insubstantial. It wouldn't work._

Sora pulled his hand out of Kairi's grasp, tugging on his hair and hanging his head. "This is…ugh. This will never…"

...Wait...

He smiled.

"_So…if you had a heart, you'd exist, right?"_

_Yes…but…why do you ask?_

"_So technically, if you _got _a heart, you could be solid?"_

_How would that work? It's not like you can give me one._

"_Just answer the question."_

_I think that would work. But-_

"_Then just share with me! You can have half! Three Keyblades are better than one, right? And after Riku remembers, he can help too!"_

_It…wouldn't work! You can't! I won't let you! You're…you asked the wrong question. I misunderstood!_

"Kairi," Sora said quietly, "Roxas is being difficult. Can you ask Naminé a question for me?"

Kairi nodded.

"I want to know if Roxas would definitely become solid if I gave him half my heart."

"_What? _Why would you do that, Sora," Kairi asked. She paused suddenly, and then let out a laugh. "Oh…yeah, it would work, all right. You just have to _do _it."

He grinned. "Thanks, Kairi."

"_Roxas, I'm kicking you out. I don't want a headmate, and I need my space. Besides; you don't want to intrude on my 'private fantasies,' right? You'd better get packing, because I'm not letting you back in."_

_No! I don't wanna come out! There's nothing out there for me! I'll be quiet! I won't say anything about your daydreams! I'll help you with your homework! I'll…don't make me leave!_

"He's having a meltdown," Sora confided.

"Are…you sure you wanna…do this? I mean, it's safe and all, but what if it hurts you? Why is Roxas having a 'meltdown,' anyway?"

"He doesn't want to come out. He says there's nothing out here for him. But we need as many hands as we can get…and he uses _two _Keyblades all the _time."_

_But…maybe…_

"_Listen, instead of headmates, we can be roommates. You can be my brother. Besides; we won't be staying here for very long. We just have to wait until Riku remembers, and then we'll be on our way."_

Roxas huffed, and Sora knew he'd be glaring with folded arms if he could be seen. _Fine then. But I'm telling you, it won't solve anything._

"Get out here, Roxas, or this whole thing will be pointless."

_Do you even know _how_ to give me half your heart?_

Sora bristled at the know-it-all tone, but then he realized…

No. He didn't.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Once upon a time, there lived a malevolent fairy named Maleficent. She caused a lot of trouble for her three cousins (Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether), and their charge, a princess named Aurora. Eventually, she was defeated by a prince, but she didn't die. Instead, she immersed herself in darkness and made a new life for herself, as mistress of the Heartless.

She banded with other malicious beings, and caused even more trouble for a boy named Sora and his two companions, Donald Duck and Goofy. She really actually just caused trouble for everyone. Sora defeated her eventually, but she didn't die then, either.

Later, she came back to wreak more havoc. She swore vengeance on Sora, but before they could duke it out, he had to go fight the dude in charge of Organization XIII and a couple of his lackeys. So they parted ways, fully intending to finish things.

See, here's where the story gets kinda fuzzy. Sora was supposed to fight Maleficent, right? Well…he didn't. He got stuck in the darkness, and then he went back to Destiny Islands, but he never _actually _had that final confrontation with that fairy.

Probably because she cast a spell on him before they parted ways; it was intended to work on his friends, as well. She cast a powerful Forget spell, and it worked; it blocked off their memories. She didn't take Roxas and Naminé into account, probably because she didn't know about them.

So now, here's our situation. We've got Maleficent, Evil Mistress Extraordinaire, who has the power, will, and strength of heart to control the Heartless. We've got Sora, who just got back his memories, but can't get away from Destiny Islands. We've got Roxas, who could help Sora, but he…can't leave Sora's head completely until Sora figures out how to give half of his heart to his Nobody.

And we've got Kairi, who will undeniably _refuse _to stay behind while Sora goes off on another adventure.

_Some _people would call this hopeless. _Some _people would give up. But Sora is not _some _people. Sora is _Sora._

And Sora will find a way.


End file.
